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Between using the plasma cutter to make room and the air hammer to help seperate those spot welds... OUT comes the old.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-_...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L...Large%2529.JPG I will be removing the rear section... just spit it into two for ease of removal. |
To keep the frame rails from moving when removing the floor... I already had 1" square tubing welded to the 2" tubing that runs along the rockers and then to the frame rails themselves. This should not allow any movement of the rails.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...Large%2529.JPG |
Plasma + Air Hammer + Grinder... damn it was NO FUN removing this part. I broke off 2 air hammer chisels with this section. There are LAYERS of metal that make this part of the floor up.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...Large%2529.JPG FINALLY it is OUT! https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...Large%2529.JPG |
Cool, it's looking like you're making good progress
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The front toeboards had a bit of pitting on them... the drivers side was worse than the passenger. But, being that I have gone this far, leaving pitted metal didn't seem right.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w...Large%2529.JPG Oddly the floor pan was not rusted bad at all on the drivers side of the main floor. Carpet must have held more moisture on the toeboard, for it sure did have some good pitting. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-T...Large%2529.JPG Looking back, I may have been able to leave the passengers... for the pitting was not bad at all, BUT there was some junk under the panel that was good to get to and seal up. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6...Large%2529.JPG New "show quality" drivers side toe board patch panel... not really sure if it is "show quality". :) https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-x...Large%2529.JPG Trimmed patch panel to the contour that best worked. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N...Large%2529.JPG Clamped and marked area to cut... https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-b...Large%2529.JPG Cut out the the area to be patched... it was nice that I could alteast get in there and clean this area up before welding in the new patch. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-H...Large%2529.JPG removed all the rust, and then gave everything a few good coats of epoxy primer to both the backside of the patch panel and the floor structure. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-s...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l...Large%2529.JPG Did the same with the passenger toeboard. Look at the junk under the toeboard. So even though the area almost didn't need to be cutout, I felt better that i was able to get in here and clean it up. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-W...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V...Large%2529.JPG Started to tack everything back together. But welding this thin stuff can be lots of fun. A tip my dad (who taught me to weld at a very young age) gave me... if you have a large gap that is to much for your mig to easily fill, take a metal cloths hanger and feed it into the welding pool (almost like a tig welder) and it will easily fill the gap. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-L...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j...Large%2529.JPG Welded in... just need to dress the welds a bit and hit it with primer. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-a...Large%2529.JPG |
In goes the main floor for a test fit. It did fit pretty good... just needed to be pulled back into the frame rails (there was about a 1/4 inch gap). To remedy this, I used rachet straps and attached them to the square tubing I have attached to the car acting as a temporary jig for the body. It worked great!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-E...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-B...Large%2529.JPG |
After numerous times of taking the floor in and out to check fit... I finally was able to scuff the e-coat (checking for rust) and apply a few good coats of epoxy primer before it gets put into place. I know I will have to do this again after welding the floor in, but it is so much easier doing the initial scuffing with the floor out, and not attached to the car.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-t...Large%2529.JPG |
The "subframe locators" I installed worked GREAT.
I used some tubing and a flat washer and centered the subframe bolts into the existing floor location then welded 1" tubing to attach these to the 2" side tubing... this way I should be able to lay the new floor in and if I can thread the bolts... It should be in the exact same location as the old floor. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-A...Large%2529.JPG |
Had a few gap issues with the front of the floor... nothing a little cutoff wheel and welding can't fix!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e...Large%2529.JPG cut a relief into the corner, then a little persuasion from the hammer... brought the corner in where it needed to be. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-k...Large%2529.JPG |
Tools of the trade you need for this... Hammer, screws. clamps and lots of patience! :)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-o...Large%2529.JPG |
I know how important the floor is for structure for these unibody cars... so to get even a bit more penetrationinto the rails and rockers (which are WAY thicker than the floor) I would use a drill and slightly drill into them so as to get deeper penetration! Might be overkill, but makes me feel better. :)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Y...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-l...Large%2529.JPG Then I just turned up the HEAT!! welding them as hot as I could to get as flat of a plug weld as I could. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-v...Large%2529.JPG |
BIG IMPROVEMENT!! nice NEW metal! With both the full trunk and full main floor, I now have a solid base. Still have to add the convertible bracing but that will be a bit later.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-r...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...Large%2529.JPG |
nice work :thumbsup:
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nice work, and shop,
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Well it has been a year and a half since I started this project. (But have owned the car for over 12 years). WOW, has it been a lesson learner! Before finding sites like this and doing HUNDREDS of hours of research and studying, I would have never imagined being this DEEP into a project. The information and knowledge on sites such as this one and others has given me the GUTS and confidence to bite off WAY more than I ever imagined!
When I first started visiting these sites and reading all the members AWESOME builds, the more I seen it was quite prevalent to give the cars/builds names. It does make it easier to recognize the thread/build and also shows how some of the cars have an EXTREME amount of heart and soul into their creation. At first I didn't feel a need or want to give my project a name. But the more time I spend out in garage working on my car, planning, designing, and implementing... the more I wanted to personalize this journey. I must admit, I totally underestimated the amount of dedication it takes to turn one of these 45 year old neglected beauties into something even BETTER than when it rolled out of GM's production plant back in 1967. To date, I have around 400 hours into the car and HUNDREDS more to go. I am doing all the work myself, and will only be outsourcing the paint, and upholstery. This allows me to spend a bit more on quality parts and build it "right" the first time. OCD would almost describe this project so far, for I have spend HOURS and HOURS going over even the smallest detail of my build. I truly am trying to build the best car my abilities and checkbook can produce! Anyway, I know it means more when the project name means something to the owner. So after much thought... I would like to introduce: project LEGACY. After what will amount to hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of work, planning and dreaming, I hope to build a car my whole family will enjoy for a LONG time! In-fact there is NO plans on ever selling this car. I hope to someday pass it along to my kids, whom may even pass it on to theirs to enjoy. It will not be just another 1967 Firebird convertible... but a reminder of all the blood, sweat and tears that went into its construction and vision! https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-z...Large%2529.jpg |
Progress has been a bit slow lately... "life" has gotten in the way. My wife has had some medical issues that needed to be priority #1, and a host of other things have popped up. When you build these cars by yourself, one MAJOR issues is that when you are not working on the car... NOBODY is working on the car.:P
Anyway, I have been working on completing the mini-tubbing on the car. I did a few modifications to build more strength into the rear of the car (since this is an issue with convertibles.) I will show more on this soon. But I did get one of my major pieces recently... Thanks to Roger and the guys over at Speedtech I am the proud owner of one of their Torque Arm systems w/ complete 9" rear-end! The quality and craftsmanship of their components is amazing... only thing better is their customer service! :thumbsup: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-T...Large%2529.JPG |
Jarrod the torque arm looks pimp!!! Looking forward to see how it works out on the vert! Gui
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amazing
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So on to the convertible floor braces... these were a bit of a PITA! the initial fitment showed that I would be using LOTS of screws to suck them up and get them to contour to the floor.
I used a Trans-Jack to hold the main brace into place so I could mark it off and drill out the holes so I could weld from inside the car. When plug welding, I like to weld to the THICK metal of the floor brace, rather then to the thin metal of the floor. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m...Large%2529.JPG Epoxy primed the inside of the braces... https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E...Large%2529.JPG Using the Trans-Jack to hold brace in place to mark floor... https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3...Large%2529.JPG Used screws to SUCK the brace up to contour the floor... it actually turned out to look JUST like the original that I still had in the shop for reference. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-I...Large%2529.JPG Used the original floor to take some measurements... but also used some measurements off of the front firewall to make sure braces were squared up with the car. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_...Large%2529.JPG Here you can see all the screws holding the floor in place... it has some welds already done. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-b...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-v...Large%2529.JPG NOTE: make sure you use either the original cross brace or whatever brace you will be using to make sure it will bolt up BEFORE you weld in the left/right rear brace. Here I am using Speedtech's Torque Arm brace to make sure everything is OK before I mark off the location for the left/right rear braces. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X...Large%2529.JPG Marked off for the left brace... drilled holes to plug weld from the top. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-q...Large%2529.JPG |
Not a fan of having to weld upside down... but was very pleased how my welds turned out where the left/right braces meet up with the main brace. I used LOTS of HEAT!
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p...Large%2529.JPG All finished... I will clean up the welds when I go over the entire floor before I epoxy coat it then truck bed line it. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...Large%2529.JPG It was quite amazing to see how much strength these braces put into the floor. (You could really tell when you would stand inside the car... there was NO give anymore.) I can not believe some of the photos out there where people leave these off during a restoration... they are a MAJOR structural piece for the convertibles. |
Looking good, Jarrod!
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Yeah, lots of hard work but looks great...doing it right. Love the birds...
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Quote:
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Next up... Mini-tubs.
I know they say it usually takes about 40-50 hours to mini-tub a Camaro/Firebird... honestly, I probably have closer to 100 due to wanting to build in more strength into this area. ISSUE: Convertibles put MUCH more stress into this area than coupes do. This is due to lack of having a roof, the convertibles use the rear seat brace to compensate (plus thicker rockers and extra bracing.) On the sides of the rear seat brace (where it attaches to the inner wheelhouse) there is actually a few layers of steel used here to build up the strength so as to reduce body flex. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-F...Large%2529.JPG Being that I will be running a WAY larger set of rear tires, cutting the frame down for the mini-tubs and adding MUCH more horsepower than the car had originally, I wanted to OVERBUILD this area to compensate. I know some people put in roll cages to handle some of the body flex, but I am building this with my family in mind, and didn't want to deal with the cage being in the way of using the rear seat. So my plan is to BEEF UP this area. Stay tuned for the PLAN. :D |
Here is where I am starting...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-W...Large%2529.JPG I didn't take as great of pictures on the passenger side (where I started)... so you will see more when I show the drivers side installation. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-e...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-K...Large%2529.JPG Will be installing the DSE (Detroit Speed and Engineering) min-tubs... https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J...Large%2529.JPG |
I will go over the process better on the passenger side (due to better pictures). But you can see here where I marked my cut line about 2.75" inside of where the inner wheelhouse would be mounted
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--...Large%2529.JPG Then with the help of a cutoff wheel / Plasma / and sawzall I removed the necessary metal. (This was the first cut... there is MUCH more trimming and cleaning up done before the tub goes in.) https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-b...Large%2529.JPG Here is the passenger side tub being trial fit into it's location. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-j...Large%2529.JPG |
OK my plan for "Beefing Up" my mini-tub install. :idea:
Like I said before, (on the convertibles) GM addressed the loss of rigidity that the roof gives the coupes in a few different ways. One of the major ways it did this was to build in more support between the wheelhouses with a much larger and more structural brace between them (the rear seat brace.) https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L...Large%2529.JPG Here you can see where they used some 20 gauge sheet metal to mount the seat brace to the wheelhouses. (NOTE: this brace is not clamped tight up against the front of the floor... so it is sitting almost an inch forward and low.) https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n...Large%2529.JPG |
I wanted to use this idea, but make it MUCH stronger... so I started by making a template of GM's design...
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L...Large%2529.JPG https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G...Large%2529.JPG Here it is taped into location on the passenger side. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-k...Large%2529.JPG Here you can see how the rear seat brace gets tied inbetween the wheelhouse and trunk floor. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M...Large%2529.JPG |
To make room for the larger tubs, you must cut into the frame rails. To compensate for the loss of strength, DSE suggests that a person welds 1/8" steel plate back into the missing portion of the frame rail. For this is MUCH thicker metal than what GM actually used on the frame rails themselves.
Here you can see the missing portion of the frame rail. https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--...Large%2529.JPG My plan was to add to DSE's plan and also incorporate GM's design... but BEEF UP both! |
So rather than just close up the frame and patch shut the missing portions in the trunk floor, I would build a plate that would do both. PLUS I would incorporate GM's brace... but not out of 20 gauge sheet metal.
MY PLAN: If welding the frame back shut with 1/8" steel plate builds strength back into the frame... making this plate twice as high and running it all the way to the front of the trunk would add MUCH more strength into the car. Here the plan... the transparent red area is where I will be welding in a 1/8" steel plate to not only build back up the missing portion of the frame rail, but also add in a MUCH larger area for the inner wheelhouse to make it's connection to the frame and rear seat brace. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3...Large%2529.jpg Here you can see how much more of the wheelhouse I will be making contact with and basically doubling the height of the frame rail in this section. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n...Large%2529.jpg |
Out comes the cardboard! (had a hard time finding good cardboard to use... ended up using some old signs we took down at work)
It was ALOT of trial fitting to get the template just right.... https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-E...Large%2529.JPG Here you can see how it will take the place of the GM template I used from the rear seat brace. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-t...Large%2529.JPG Test fit the inner wheelhouse to see how it will work... https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...Large%2529.JPG |
Transfer the template to 1/8th inch steel plate.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L...Large%2529.JPG I have a attachment for my plasma that is suppose to make it easy to cut straight lines... but I found using a piece of wood as a "fence" worked GREAT! https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-M...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-B...Large%2529.JPG Here it is after using a MAP torch and heating the end to create the curve... I also drilled in a few areas so as to be able to plug weld it to the structure underneath. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T...Large%2529.JPG |
Here you can see how much further in the mini-tubs are compared to the "stock" side.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f...Large%2529.JPG |
On to the drivers side...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-D...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-K...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-N...Large%2529.JPG Did you see all the spot weld GM used where the inner and outer wheelhouses meet each other. I was original going to try and keep the outer wheelhouse. but after seeing the rough shape they were in and the HELL it was to separate the two... I decided to put new ones in their place. So I drilled all these for NOTHING! :bang: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3...Large%2529.JPG |
Marked off...
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-y...Large%2529.JPG For Me... one of the tricky parts was making sure this rear curvature was correct to follow the tub. They tell you to come in 2.75" and mark for the cut... but DO NOT do that all the way around.. for the wheelhouse isn't 2.75" larger all the way around... so take your time making sure the curve is as close as you can make it to match the tub. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-H...Large%2529.JPG |
Tools I used for the job... (I also used a sawzall)
Side Note: I really didn't use the Plasma that much... it is hard to cut through multiple layers effectively with a Plasma torch... Plus doing it VERY straight. I did use it to make quick rough cuts in some areas... then cleaned it up with a grinder. https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-G...Large%2529.JPG Here is the first "rough cut"... you can see the bottom of the rail is still there. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-p...Large%2529.JPG |
That little flange in the front of the opening is left in order to form a lip to make contact with the wheelhouse.
Just clamp onto it and bend it down into place. https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-f...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n...Large%2529.JPG |
After cleaning up the initial cut... I am ready to start fitting the brace I will need to make for this side.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-J...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1...Large%2529.JPG https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V...Large%2529.JPG |
Test fit the template on the drivers side...
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Q...Large%2529.JPG |
Time to make another brace... transferring the template to 1/8" steel plate.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-N...Large%2529.JPG I always start the plasma away from my cutline... that way if the plasma sputters or starts funny it doesn't destroy my cutline. I also don't start at the edge, for it seems to produce a bad cutline. (atleast for me) https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-A...Large%2529.JPG https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z...Large%2529.JPG https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X...Large%2529.JPG |
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